Results – BNH Open A/C 2-4-2 Played 10th & 11th June 2023

  • June 12, 2023

Elaine McClintock and Walter Howden added to their excellent centre records by winning Bowls North’s open any combination 2-4-2 pairs tournament at the weekend.

  In the final on Takapuna’s carpet green Orewa’s McClintock and Howden, who is soon to return to Orewa after a brief stint back at Takapuna, beat Birkenhead’s John Hindmarch and Mark Rumble 14-7.

 But before pocketing the $400 first prize they had to survive a scare in the round of 16 from Orewa’s Ray Brown and Ross Hulme, who only made post-section play as the second placed pair with the best differential.

  Behind for most of the match, and two behind coming to the 12th and last end, McClintock and Howden both drew beautifully to tie the game at 12-all, but before winning needed two extra ends, with Hulme with a superb drive killing the first.

 To make the final Hindmarch and Rumble, both with centre titles in the past season, won a dramatic match against the much decorated Browns Bay pair of Neil Fisher and Brian Wilson, with Hindmarch’s last bowl deciding the result at 14-13.

 In their semi-final McClintock and Howden had a comfortable win over Hobsonville’s David Den Hertog and Clinton Smith 17-9. But it was a great achievement by Den Hertog and Smith to go so deep in what was a contest stacked with some outstanding combinations as both are only third year players.

 And to make the semi-final they ousted in the quarter-finals two accomplished bowlers in Takapuna’s Brent Malcolm and Manly’s Kevin Rainsford.

 As well as Fisher and Wilson Hindmarch and Rumble had the distinction of beating the other half of the formidable Browns Bay four, John Walker and Colin Rogan, 15-8 in the quarter-finals.

 The narrow escape they had in the round of 16 must have put some steel into McClintock and Howden for in the quarter-finals they were in commanding form to dispatch Birkenhead’s Black Jack Tony Grantham and his illustrious partner, Trish Croot, 12-6. 

 In the flight final Bruce McClintock couldn’t quite make it a family double. He and his partner, Mairangi’s Theresa Rogers, lost to the siblings from Birkenhead’s Millie and Chad Nathan, 17-9.

 For their effort the Nathans received the first prize of $200.

 

 

Elaine McClintock & Walter Howden with Maureen Taylor

John Hindmarsh, Maureen Taylor & Mark Rumble